After many attempts over many years to make a Kung Fu movie, based on the 1970s television show, the project is finally getting off the the ground with Bill Paxton set to direct. Yeah, that Bill Paxton. Okay.Through it all, the question we keep coming back to, of course, is who will play Kwai Chang Caine? In a recent interview, Paxton revealed a few thoughts on the movie, and who they might be looking for to play the part: Bill Paxton On KUNG FU: It'll Be "A Western With Martial Arts."
To take that a step further, I think the character of Caine, whoever this actor this is, and we're going to have to do a big search, he has to be Chinese-something... Chinese-Irish, Chinese-Israeli, Chinese-American, Chinese-Canadian... He's probably going to have to be a pretty skilled martial artist.I guess this is reassuring. The character of Caine will be "Chinese-something" -- at least, that's what the director is hoping for. Hard to believe that Kung Fu could star someone other than a vaguely-Asian-looking white guy. (You weren't fooling anyone, Carradine.) But I'll believe it when I see it.
This is going to be more of a Western, with violence, sort of like what True Grit was, as opposed to a lot of wire work. To me to do a big martial arts film - God, there are so many great ones, and believe me the Chinese do great ones, to me it makes more sense to make it a Western with martial arts.
What's interesting about Caine is because he's a product of both worlds is that even though he's raised in China he comes to the West, by the time he goes back to China in the third act he's picked up a bit of a Western thing. We've found some clever ways for East to meet West, and to resonate with the audience.